Portulaca plant named ‘Summer Joy Pink’

ABSTRACT

Portulaca ‘Summer Joy Pink’ is a new variety of  Portulaca oleracea . This plant has a vigorous, spreading plant growth which produces large, pink flowers having an orange-yellow center.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

This invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Portulacaplant, hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Summer Joy Pink’. Portulaca‘Summer Joy Pink’ is a new variety of Portulaca oleracea. The plant hasa vigorous spreading growth habit and can be used as a groundcover. Itcan also be used in a potted or hanging basket presentation. Theinvention's flowers are bright pink (RHS 67B) with an orange-yellow (RHS5A) center. The flowers are single and measure 5.0 to 5.5 centimeters indiameter when fully open. There are five distinct petals with an indentat the tip of each petal. Portulaca flowers will typically close underlow light and low temperature conditions such as late in the day and atnight. ‘Summer Joy Pink’ Portulaca flowers will stay open later into theevening than other most cultivated varieties. The plant performs well inhot and dry climates. The plant is very resistant to rain, heat anddrought.

ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

The new cultivar is propagated asexually from vegetative cuttings. Theasexual reproduction establishes that the plant does in fact maintainthe characteristics described in successive generations. ‘Summer JoyPink’ has been reproduced by stem cuttings in Salinas, Calif., and allof the characteristics thereof have been determined to be firmly fixed.

‘Summer Joy Pink’ originated from a hybridization made by the inventorHiromi Matsukizono in Japan. The female parent is a commercial varietyknown as ‘Yubi® Rose’, an unpatented variety of Portulaca and the maleparent was a white flowered breeding line known as ‘White #4’, anunpatented variety of Portulaca. The initial cross-pollination of theparents, resulting in F₁ generation seed, was made in June, 1991. InFebruary, 1992, the F₁ seed was sown. From these plants, three plantswere selected for appealing flower color. In June through September of1992 the three selected plant lines were vegetatively propagated andtested for easy reproducibility and stability of traits. One of thesethree plant lines was hence selected for bright pink flower color, largeflower size and easy propagation. In February, 1997, cuttings of thisplant line were sent to California. During the spring and summer of 1997and 1998, plants were grown under the direction and supervision of theinventor for evaluation of the stability of the line's desired traits.Plants were evaluated in greenhouse pots at the research station atSalinas, Calif., and at the breeding station in Kakegawa, Japan. Theinvention, ‘Summer Joy Pink’ Portulaca, was determined by the inventorto have its characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings serve by color photographic means toillustrate the new plant variety, ‘Summer Joy Pink’. The colors arerepresented as true as possible using conventional photographicprocedures.

FIG. 1 is a close-up view of a ‘Summer Joy Pink’ flower illustrating itscolor and shape.

FIG. 2 is a view of the new cultivar after growing in a greenhouse for 8to 10 weeks in a six-inch diameter pot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following description is based on observations and measurements from14 to 16 week old plants grown in six-inch pots at Salinas, Calif. Theseplants were grown in plastic pots containing a peat moss-based medium.The plants were grown in the greenhouse under full sunlight in Salinas,Calif. Night temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 21° C. and daytemperatures ranged from 24° C. to 35° C. The soil was not allowed tostay saturated but the plants were irrigated when the soil began to dry,or every second or third day. Soluble fertilizer was applied through anoverhead irrigation system. The fertilizer contained 18% nitrogen, 8%phosphorus and 18% potassium. Every fourth irrigation was done withnon-fertilizer water. Color designations were made according to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart published by The RoyalHorticultural Society of London, England.

Origin: Japan.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Yubi® Rose (not patented).

Male parent.—White #4 (not patented).

Classification:

Family.—Portulacaceae.

Genus.—Portulaca.

Species.—Oleracea.

Commercial.—Portulaca ‘Summer Joy Pink’.

Plant:

Growth habit.—Prostrate.

Plant height.—7 cm.

Spreading area of plant.—60-80 cm (in a six-inch pot).

Vigor.—The plant is most vigorous at high temperatures.

Time to initiate/develop roots.—Vegetative cuttings root in 7-10 daysafter placing into a rooting medium such as a peat moss-based mixture.The cuttings will form roots without the use of overhead mist.

Stem:

Thickness.—2.4 mm.

Color.—Yellowish green (144B) with red-purple RHS 60A anthocyaninpigment present in the axial portion of the stem.

Pubescence.—Present only at the nodes.

Branching.—Abundant.

Length of internode.—50-150 mm.

Leaf:

Shape.—Oblanceolate with cuspidate tip.

Length (average).—2.4 cm.

Width (average).—1.3 cm.

Petiole.—Contains anthocyanin pigment (red purple RHS 63B).

Thickness.—1.7 mm.

Color.—Upper leaf surface is green RHS 137A and the lower surface isgreen (137A) with red-purple (60A) anthocyanin present at the edge.

Pubescence.—None.

Texture.—Leaf surface is smooth, shiny and wax-like. Leaves are thickand fleshy.

Flower:

Shape.—Five distinct petals with an indent at tip of petal.

Petal shape.—Heart-shaped with a square base; approximately 2.0×1.7 cm.

Lobation.—None.

Diameter.—5.0-5.5 cm when fully opened.

Color.—Unopened stage (the development stage at which the petals haveelongated from the sepals but not yet fully extended and opened): Pink(73A); Upper petal color is red-purple (67B); Lower petal color isred-purple (67C). Mature stage: Upper petals are red-purple (67B) withan orange yellow (5A) center; Lower petals are red-purple (67C).

Bud.—Lanceolate shaped; mature bud measures 1.6 cm in length and 0.7 cmin diameter; color is yellow-green (145A).

Sepal.—Two sepals, deltoid shaped; measures 1 cm in length and 0.9 cm inwidth; sepals are thin, paper-like, smooth and shiny; color istransparent with green venation.

Habit.—The flowers bloom during midmorning and close at night. Eachflower blooms only once and are produced throughout the growing season.The plants produce flowers regardless of day length; the plants are dayneutral. Plants can have 40 to 50 open flowers at one time and have nofragrance.

Season of bloom.—In zone 9 and similar locations this plant will flowerthroughout the entire year. Growth is less vigorous during the cooltemperatures and short days of winter, but the plant will continue tobloom.

Hardiness.—Plant is heat tolerant; thrives in heat and humidity; plantis not cold tolerant or below 7° C.

Reproductive organs.—One yellow (5B) pistil with five narrow stylebranches and many yellow (5B) stamen with orange-yellow anthers andyellow filaments; pollen is orange (26A); flowers do not produce seed.

Disease and Insect Resistance

No unusual susceptibility to diseases or insects have been observed.

Comparison with Other Know Varieties

The new variety is distinguished from other Portulaca plants known toinventor by its flower color, larger flower size and ability to stayopen later into the evening. The closest commercial cultivar that we areaware of is the Portulaca plant named ‘Yubi® Pink’ (an unpatentedvariety). The distinguishing characteristics, which differentiate‘Summer Joy Pink’ from ‘Yubi® Pink’, are:

‘Summer Joy Pink’ ‘Yubi ® Pink’ Flower Diameter 5.0-5.5 cm 4.2-4.7 cmFlower Color Bright pink with orange-yellow Bright pink center FlowerClosing Open longer in evening Closes earlier Behavior in afternoon

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Portulaca as shown anddescribed herein.